Shangguan Luoyue hadn’t expected that Dugu Buye wouldn’t believe a word of her story. Instead, he seized the moral high ground and put her on the spot in front of everyone.
She quickly forced out even more tears and answered between sobs, “Huaiwan would never dare. It’s just that that woman can’t stand me and wants my godfather to personally kill me. I don’t want to make things difficult for him, so I thought I’d just end it myself.”
Dugu Buye let out a cold laugh. “If that’s the case, then Princess Huaiwan should have taken her own life before the sovereign. Instead, you fought your way back to the court and put on this display in front of all the civil and military officials—what’s the logic in that?”
Shangguan Luoyue was stumped. Unable to come up with a better response, she just lowered her head and cried.
“Grand Secretary Dugu, don’t you think you’re being a bit too harsh?”
From among the ranks of officials stepped a handsome civil officer. On closer look, it was the Vice Minister of Rites. With measured steps and an air of confidence, he walked up to Dugu Buye and gave a respectful bow.
“Grand Secretary Dugu, after all, Princess Huaiwan is the sovereign’s only heir. How can you question her so rudely like this? Wouldn’t that be overstepping your bounds as a subject?”
Shangguan Luoyue felt a surge of smug satisfaction. She hadn’t been idle all these years in Great Xia. Quite a few of the new and old officials in the court had already defected to her side. Now it was time for them to earn their keep.
Dugu Buye didn’t even spare the Vice Minister of Rites a glance. He walked back to his armchair, sat down, picked up the cup of Longtan Piaoxue tea from the side table, and took a light sip.
Smack!
The next second, tea, cup, and all came crashing down on the Vice Minister’s head. The officials all dropped to their knees in a panic. “Please, Grand Secretary, calm down!”
A bloody gash opened on the Vice Minister’s forehead. He winced in pain but didn’t dare make a sound. Shouting in court would mean falling into the hands of the Discipline Enforcement Hall—and that would be the end of him.
Shangguan Luoyue gritted her teeth in silent fury. This man was utterly overbearing! Truly a formidable opponent!
“How improper.”
Guards stepped in and dragged the Vice Minister of Rites away. The officials fell completely silent. Over the years, with the sovereign often absent from court, they had all but forgotten the Grand Secretary’s methods.
Back when the sovereign first took the throne, he had gone back to Western Zhou to fetch the legendary consort, leaving Great Xia in Dugu Buye’s hands. Dugu Buye was only twelve at the time. Some ministers thought they could take advantage of his youth and pay lip service while disobeying behind his back—they were beaten to death in court. Even their families were investigated and given heavy sentences. From then on, no one dared to act rashly before Grand Secretary Dugu. The Vice Minister of Rites had only been appointed this year—he’d never witnessed Dugu Buye’s terrifying side.
“Princess Huaiwan’s matter will be decided after the sovereign returns. For the next few days, Princess Huaiwan will remain in her residence and rest well. As for the rest of you, mind your tongues. Know what to say and what not to say. Don’t lose your sense of propriety.”
Shangguan Luoyue clenched her fingers so tightly they trembled with rage. This was a house arrest in all but name!
But at least Linglong had already made preparations outside. Once public pressure mounted, that wretched Jiang Xingyan wouldn’t be able to set foot in Great Xia!
Shangguan Luoyue prostrated herself respectfully. “I will abide by Grand Secretary Dugu’s arrangements.”
A glint of murderous intent flashed through Dugu Buye’s eyes, but he suppressed it. He closed his eyes, took the fresh cup of tea handed to him by an attendant, and took a sip.
“Very well. Court dismissed.”
——–
Lying on a stretcher, Shangguan Hanshan let out a heavy sigh.
“By the next day, the whole of Great Xia was buzzing with the news. They said I was going to kill the adopted daughter I’d raised for over twenty years for the sake of a biological daughter I’d never even met. That Luoyue has always been good at winning people over. The common folk revere her and had already come to see her as the next sovereign. They all gathered in the capital, demanding answers.”
Jiang Xingyan’s expression grew grave. Even before she had shown herself, she was already being painted as a spoiled and overbearing villainess in the hearts of Great Xia’s people. Luoyue was trying to cut off her path to Great Xia entirely. She had originally planned that after swapping back, she’d go to Great Xia and find some place where no one knew her or Brother Yun, and live out her days there.
Shangguan Hanshan’s voice was full of regret.
“By the time I got back to Great Xia, public outrage was boiling over and the situation was unstable. By the time I’d calmed the people down, I received the distress signal from the person you’d sent. When I stormed into the Lotus Tower with my shadow guards, that Hehan captain had already been tortured beyond recognition—but he was still clinging to life. It wasn’t until the woman who’d come with him threw herself into his arms that he finally breathed his last…”
Jiang Xingyan hadn’t expected to learn the fate of Hehan and Yu Jiaojiao from her father’s lips. Grief and rage welled up inside her, and tears spilled down her cheeks.
“It’s your father’s fault. I didn’t think things through properly, and I let Luoyue exploit the gap. Blame me if you want, Yanyan, but don’t ruin your eyes crying.”
Through tear-blurred eyes, Jiang Xingyan saw Shangguan Hanshan’s guilt, Huo Ci hanging on by a thread, and Yun Chunfeng’s uncertain fate. Every bit of damage done could be laid at Linglong and Luoyue’s feet. For now, they had vanished without a trace, which at least gave her time to catch her breath and regroup.
That hidden weapon they called a “gun” was far too powerful and bizarre. And Linglong seemed to have the ability to disappear at will. If the Heavenly Dao only existed to bind Brother Yun, then why should she follow it? Why should she fear it?
“General! The Prince of Beiluo has been found in the Hehe Palace. He’s been brought here bound.”
“General! We discovered an underground passage and found Tuoba Hongxue inside.”
Jiang Xingyan gathered her thoughts and turned her gaze to the two figures being forced to their knees by the soldiers—bound so tightly they could barely move. Tuoba Hongxue was covered in blood, head hanging low, as if all strength had drained from him.
The rotund Prince of Beiluo tilted his fat face upward, pleading endlessly. “General Huo! I—I surrender! I offer all the borders of Beiluo to His Majesty of Western Zhou! I’m willing to serve at His Majesty’s side, forever as his attendant! Please, General Huo, don’t kill me! I was bewitched by that demoness—I wasn’t thinking clearly, and I made a grave mistake!”
Jiang Xingyan stared at him intently. The common people of Beiluo ate chaff and wild vegetables, toiled their whole lives, and never got a single good meal or drop of fine wine. Yet this man they worshipped as their prince was bloated and pampered, showing none of the bearing of a warrior on horseback. And on top of all that, he was such a coward, so terrified of death, so utterly spineless!
A man like this, after witnessing the terrifying power Linglong displayed, let ambition and desire take over his mind. He cast aside the lives of his people without a second thought, ready to turn the entire Beiluzhou into a living hell. Absolutely unforgivable!
Jiang Xingyan clenched her fists and roared, “Guards!”
“Present!”
“Hang the Prince of Beiluo from the main gate of Beiluo’s capital! Let all the captured commoners come and see—let them see with their own eyes what kind of creature their revered prince really is!”
The Prince of Beiluo was terrified out of his wits, begging for mercy over and over. Words so degrading they scraped the very dirt left his mouth. “General Huo, as long as you spare my life, I’ll do anything! I’ll be a lowly eunuch stoking the fires in the Western Zhou palace! Please, I’m begging you, don’t kill me—woohoo!”
Tuoba Hongxue lowered his head even further. Some Western Zhou soldiers who couldn’t bear to hear any more tore off a strip of cloth and stuffed it into the prince’s mouth. He kicked and struggled wildly, but was mercilessly dragged away.
Watching his retreating figure, Jiang Xingyan gnashed her teeth. “If you had actually succeeded, your sniveling, groveling face would have been even more disgusting than it is now!”
“General Huo, please give this guilty subject a swift death!”
